Electrode holder



Patented Sept. 9, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ELECTRODE HOLDER Percy Jepson, Oakland, Calif.

Application March 3, 1945, Serial No. 580,797

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to new and useful electrode holders and particularly to a hand actuable device for holding electrodes or welding rods for electric welding.

Due to the difficulty of operating with shortened electrodes when used with electrode holders heretofore known and employed, relatively long stub ends are discarded, resulting in enormous waste of material which, especially during periods of unusual activity and material shortage, as in war time, is of great importance. Another factor in electrode waste is the practice of bending th electrodes in order to enable more convenient and effective application thereof with holders now in common use.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a novel electrode holder which insures the consumption of electrodes to a substantially greater extent than has heretofore been the practice.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder which enables angular adjustment of the electrode to be made and eliminates the need for bending the electrode.

A further object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder having means for quickly positioning an electrode in a predetermined substantially unvarying clamping arrangement.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder having means for expeditiously disposing the electrodes in a clampin arrangement which is highly eflicient, both from the viewpoint of maximum consumption and electrical contact.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder in which relative movement of the clamping jaws in approach to and recession from gripping positions is effected rapidly and conveniently.

Still another object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder having an abutment arranged for accurate placement of an electrode in clamping position.

Another object of the invention is to provide an electrode holder which is relatively simple and durable in construction and highly efficient in use.

Other objects of the invention will appear from the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment of my invention, and are such as may be attained by a utilization of the various novel principles, combinations and sub-combinations hereinafter set forth, and defined by the scope of the appended claims in the various rela- 2 tions to which they are applicable by persons skilled in the art.

As shown in the drawing:

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section taken on line 2-2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a transverse section taken substantially on line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a transverse section taken on line 5-4 of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of the invention;

Figure 6 is a transverse section taken on line B-6 of Figure 5;

Figure '7 is a transverse section taken on line 'i---'! of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary plan view of another modified form of jaw;

Figure 9 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of the invention shown at Figure 8;

Figure 10 is a plan view of an alternative form of adjustable jaw member; and

Figure 11 is a diametrical sectional view of a further modification of said jaw member,

Referring to the drawin wherein corresponding reference characters designate like parts throughout, 2i] designates a body member formed of electrically conductive material and embodying an elongated fiat bar 22 integral with an essentially tubular cable receiving socket 24 at one one of the bar. As clearly shown in Figures 2 and 5 the axis of socket 24 is transversely offset with relation to the major axis of the body bar 22 and is externally screw threaded as shown at 2%. The socket is closed at the front end and open at the rear. The body bar 22 has a pair of trans versely spaced longitudinal flanges 38 for a purpose which will be hereinafter described.

Axially adjustable upon the threaded socket 2 3 is an internally threaded sleeve 28 having an enlarged diameter cam head 30 on its inner end. This head has a forwardly and inwardly tapering frusto-conicaI cam face 32, the rear end face of said head providing a shoulder 34 intermediate the ends of the sleeve. Fixedly fitted about the sleeve 28 with its inner end abutting shoulder 35 is one end portion of a tubular handle 35 of insulating material.

In the preferred form of the holder, illustrated at Figures 1 to 4, inclusive, the forward part of the body bar '22 carries a, rotative jaw element 40 the major portion of which is of frusto-conical formation and is rotatively engaged upon a correspondingly shaped seat 42 in the bar. The remaining portion of this jaw is cylindrical as indicated at M, and has a V-shaped groove 46 formed diametrically in its circular end face 41. At its outer end the jaw 48 has a stud 58 riveted or otherwise fixed to a retaining washer 52 seated in a recess 54. Projecting laterally of the bar 22 and partially around the seat 42 is an arcuate abutment flange 55 having its outer edge approximately level with the face 4'! of the jaw as shown in Figure 2. Pivotall connected with and extending substantially parallel with the body 28 is a lever 58 of electrically conductive material having a relatively long forwardly extending arm 68 provided on the inner side of its extremity with a protuberance having a convex face 62 and constituting a clamping jaw coactingly related with the turnable jaw 40. A rearwardly directed arm 84 is angularly disposed relative to the arm 68 of the lever and is provided with an outwardly opening transverse bore 86. At its rear end the arm G4 has an angularly directed cam follower extension Lever 58 is fulcrumed to the body by a pivot pin extending transversely through a hole 2 at the juncture of the lever arms 60 and 64 and through holes aligned therewith in the body flanges 38 for pivotal movement in a plane containing the longitudinal axis of the body. At the junction of the arms 65) and 84 the lever is provided with an inwardly directed lip I4 coacting with the opposed face of body bar 22 to block entry or foreign matter inwardly of the pivot point.

A hood E6 of insulative material is shaped to enclose the intermediate part of the body and the rearward part of the lever 58 being secured to the body as shown at "I8. An insulative section fill is secured to the forward part of the body bar as indicated at 82, so as to cover the outer face and part of the side and front end surfaces of this bar. Another insulative section 84 is fastened to the arm 68 of the lever, as shown at 85, to cover the outer face and part of the side surfaces of this arm. A coil spring 88 is fitted axially in t e bore and is held in compression by ab resiliently urge arm 6d inwardly and the rear end of the extension t8 against the conical camming face 32.

Thus rocking movement of the lever 58 is caused and controlled by th spring 88 in axial displacement of the camming head 32 on the sleeve 23 upon rotation thereof on the threaded socket by rearwardly projecting handle 36. To insert a welding rod or electrode in the holder the cam head til is initially disposed in a rearwardly retracted position on. the socket 24 and one end of the electrode i fitted in the groove 55 and moved axially inward until its inner end abuts the A which thereby assures unvarying placenie t of the gripped end thereof. turning the insulated handle 38 clockwise, when looking from the rear end, the sleeve 28 and L moved axially forward, causelevation of t..e rear follower end of the lever along the tapered camrning face 32 and engagement of the convex clamping jaw 82 with the electrode seated on the complementary jaw 48 until surliciently tight clamping action upon the electrode is effected, suitable to obviate accidenor angular displacement of the electrode. Due to the convex contour of the jaw 82 and the rotatable mounting of the jaw 48 the electrode, indicated at 9 may be turned in a plane normal to the axis oi the jaw 49 to selected angularly adjusted positions through a range of nt with the fixed hood I6 to 4 4 approximately 180, it being preferable to relax the clamping grip during such angular adjustment of the welding rod to obviate excessive wear, although both jaws are maintained in contact with the electrode. Upon rearward retraction of the camming head the compression spring 88 acting inwardly upon arm 64 causes recession of jaw 62 relative to jaw 40 to release the minor unconsumed end of the electrode for replacement by a new electrode.

The modified form of the invention shown at Figures 5 to '7, inclusive, embodie an angular lever 92 dilfering from the structure of lever 58 primarily in that the jaw 94 at the forward end has a fiat inner gripping surface 96 and at the rear end has a longitudinally extending bore 98 opening through the rear face. In the bore 98 is fixed a spindle I00 carrying on an outwardly projecting portion a roller I82 held against axial displacement. Roller I82 is maintained in contact with the conical camming surface 32 and is advantageous in reducing frictional resistance and wear of the cam head and the follower.

At its forward end body 20 supports a universally adjustable jaw I64 having an approximately hemi-spherical base surface seated in a correspondingly shaped recess I86 in the body. Jaw lot is provided on its base with an axially projecting stem I83 extending through an opening iii] in the body bar and fixed, as by Welding or otherwise, to a resilient washer I I2 disposed within a recess il in bar 22. In the flat face IE5 oi the jaw Hi l there is provided a diametrically extending V-shaped groove IIB designed to accommodate an end part of an electrode. The stem IE8 is of substantially smaller diameter than the opening Iii) in order to aliord substantial play therein so that when the jaws 94 and Iil l have been brought into electrode clamping relation the rockably seated jaw I85 will be adjusted, by the gripping pressure, to bring its face H5 into parallelism with the face 9B of jaw S4 fixed on the lever so as to provide linear contact diametrically of both jaws with the electrode. An arouabutment forming flange I I8, similar in structure and arrangement to flange 56, is provided on the bar 22 at the edge of jaw I84 for uniform placement of the electrode on the latter. In this form of the holder the socket member 24 has an internally threaded bore 2 is having a decreasing taper toward its forward closed end for firm connec ion with a cable. This form of the invention is particularly adapted for use where increased area of electrode contact with the gripping jaws is preferred. The cupped washer II2 acts to yieldingly hold jaw i04 coaxially with the opening I It] in the body.

In another modification of the device, illustrated at Figures 8 and 9, the forward end of the body bar 22 is formed to provide an inwardly projecting jaw I28 the circular face of which is provided with a plurality of, in the present example three, intersecting diametrical grooves I22 oi V-shaped cross section for receiving the inner part of electrodes longitudinally therein. Protruding from a marginal part of the jaw Hit is an arcuate abutment forming flange I24 of approximately l angular measurement and disposed to provide a stop at one end of the respective grooves I22 for predetermined placement of the electrode on this jaw, This form of jaw construction can be employed in connection with any preferred form of complementary jaw for fixedly clamping an electrode in any one of a number of predetermined angular positions with reference to the longitudinal axis of the body.

Spring 88 exerts sufiicient pressure to retain the follower projection 68 or roller I02 of the lever in firm operative and conducting contact with traveling camming head 30.

Thus, the device provides a durable conveniently actuable holder which enables rapid and substantially uniform insertion of an electrode with a wide range of angular adjustment in a plane parallel with the longitudinal axis of the holder body. Furthermore, the electrode may be turned to the most suitable angularity without removal from the clamp or lengthwise displacement with relation to the jaws. The structure is such as to provide a compact device in which the cam actuated lever mechanism is capable of exerting a wide range of accurately controllable gripping pressures.

In Figure of the drawings another form of the rotatively adjustable jaw member is shown which may be preferred as it simplifies the construction by eliminating the semi-circular abutment flange on the body member 20 and forming the abutment as an integral part of the jaw member. In the illustrated example the electrode and receiving groove 46 in the end face of the jaw 40 terminates at one end in spaced relation to the periphery of the jaw and is closed by the Wall 56 which forms the abutment or stop against which the end face of the inserted electrode con tacts. Thus, there will be no resistance to the free turning movement of the jaw member by reason of frictional contact of the end of the electrode with a relatively stationary abutment flange, as in the construction first described.

In Figure 11 another form of the adjustable jaw member is illustrated in which, in addition to the electrode receiving groove I46 the jaw member I40 is provided at each side thereof with a cavity I50 the walls of which are sections of a common are having a radius substantially corresponding to that of the jaw surface 62 in Figure 2 of the drawings and which diametrically intersects the groove I46 near the base thereof. Thus the surface 62 will be received in these cavities to effectively clamp electrodes of relatively small diameter to the jaw member M0.

The invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects a illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claims rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claims are therefore intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed and desired to be secured by United States Letters Patent is:

1. An electrode holder comprising a body of electrically conductive material, means on said body engageable only by one extremity of an electrode and including a member movable with the electrode to dispose th electrode at a predetermined angle relative to the body, positive stop means associated with said member to contact the end face of the electrode and prevent endwise movement thereof in one direction relative to said member, and manually adjustable means mounted on the body to engage the electrode and rigidly secure said movable member and the electrode against movement relative to each other and to said body, in response to forces incidental to application of the electrode to the work.

2. An electrode holder as defined in claim 1 in which said stop means comprises an abutment integrally formed with said movable memher.

3. An electrode holder as defined in claim 1 in which said body is provided with a cavity in which said movable member is rockably seated, together with means yieldably resisting rocking movement of said member from a normal position.

4. An electrode holder comprising an electrically conductive bar of rectangular cross-section having a cylindrical externally threaded part at its rear end axially offset from the plane of said bar, a lever pivotally mounted on one side of said bar in alignment with said offset end thereof and having a forwardly extending portion and a relatively short obliquely angled portion extending rearwardly from the pivot, electrode clamping jaws on the forward ends of said bar and lever, and an adjusting cam threaded upon the offset end of said bar and cooperating with the rear end of said lever to urge the same to electrode clamping position.

5. The electrode holder as defined in claim 4, together with a member journalled on the rear end of said lever in rolling contact with the face of said cam.

6. In an electrode holder, an electrode clamping jaw having an electrode end receiving groove, and an abutment flange closing one end of said groove to contact the end face of the electrode and prevent endwise movement of the electrode through said groove.

7. In an electrode holder, an electrode clamping jaw having a plurality of intersecting grooves to selectively receive one end of an electrode, and an abutment flange closing each of said grooves at one end thereof to contact the end face of an inserted electrode and prevent endwise movement thereof through the groove.

PERCY JEPSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

